Railway cross-tie.



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CHAR-LES l/V. GILES, OF ATTLEBORU, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY CROSS-TIE.

resents.

Application filed February 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. GILES, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cross- Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway cross ties and the operating of signal apparatus by an electrical circuit completed through said tie, and has for its object to provide a railway tie of composite construction which is electrically connected to a danger signaling device whereby iii the rails spread a predetermined amount the electrical circuit will be closed and the signal set to danger which will cause the investigation of the condition of the tracks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metallic railway tie member having rail supporting blocks of non-electric-conducting material mounted therein said tie member being provided with block retaining members or pockets having contacting portions located on the outside of each rail which members serve a double purpose first to re tain the blocks in position in the tie member, and second, they serve to complete an electric circuit to set the signal to danger when the rails spread sufficiently to engage them.

A further object of the invention is to formv the tie member of metal bent or shaped into an angular form having a base and one side wall whereby this member is adapted to receive short blocks of non-electric-conducting material for supporting the rails, the rails being spiked, screwed or otherwise secured to the blocks whereby the natural tendency of the rail movement, which is in the direction of the current of tratiic, naturally crowds the blocks up against one wall of the tie which wall is primarily constructed for supporting the block against this thrust.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and. particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a railway block signal apparatus employing my improved railway tie so that if the rails spread at any point in the block the signals will be set to danger. Fig. 2 illustrates a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, lltl lll.

Serial No. 750,196.

danger signal operatively connected to the tie itself whereby a spreading oi the rails will close the circuit and set the signal to danger. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the general construction of my improved composite rail showing the pockets for retaining the wooden blocks. Fig. l-. is a section on line %l& of Fig. 3 showing the rail mounted on the block of non-conducting material. Fig. 5 is a detail on line 5 of Fig. 8 showing my improved means for locking the block in the tie member. Fig. 6 is a detail of the key or strap employed for locking the block.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the tie member which is preferably constructed 01"" sheet metal rolled into a right angle form providing a base portion 11 and a side wall 12. This tie member is provided at either end with a pocket for the reception of the cushion or non-electric-conducting block hereinafter described and the pocket is preferably constructed by providing a pair of arms 13 and let at either end formed integral with the upper edge of the side wall 12 said arms being horizontally disposed and extending across the tie, each pair of arms being connected together by the member which extends downward and is provided with fingers 26 extending through corre sponding holes 27 in the base plate, see Figs. 3 and 5, said fingers being bent back beneath said base plate firmly securing these arms.in position. In order to close the outer end of each oi these block receiving pockets I have provided an end wall portion 28 which is turned downward, see a, and provided at its lower edge with fingers 29 which extend through corresponding apertures 30, said fingers being bent outward to lock this edge to the base plate 10.

In order to close the inner ends of these pockets I have provided a key or angle member 15, the same having an outwardly turned lip 16 adapted to extend through a corresponding aperture 17 in the base plate and then extend up and back as at 18 over the upper edge of the arm 14: where it may be secured in position by means of the nail or screw 19. The edges of these arms 13 and 14 are notched or cut away as at 20, see Fig. 3, so as to prevent the spike or lag screw 31 which secures the rail to the block from coming in contact therewith to short circuit the same. The edges of the vertical iwalls 12 and 25 between these arms is cut away as at 21, see Figs. 3 and at, so that the rail in extending over the block between the arms, while in normal position, cannot come in contact with any of the metal parts of the tie member.

In order to provide a properly cushioned bearing for the rails, I insert into the pocket portions of this tic member at either end heneath the rails, block 22 or wood, vulcanized fiber or other suitable non-electrical conducting material and to these blocks I attach the rails 23, either by spikes, lagscrews, or otherwise, see i, and by passing the key or strap 15 through the slot 17 and attaching the upper end 18 to the arm 18 the blocks are securely locked in position in their respective pockets. By this construction it will be seen that a very small portion of the wood, as compared to the ordinary wooden tie. is employed in my presentconstruction of composite tie, so that when one of these blocks decays or becomes defective it is not necessary to throw away the whole tie, but simply remove the defective block and replace it with a fresh one.

I do not wish to be restricted to forming the arms 13 and i l integral with the edge of the side wall 12 as it may be formed independent thereof and connected thereto by any suitable means to form and complete the pocket for receiving and retaining the rail supporting blocks.

By constructing my improved tie lnember of angle iron having but one side wall I re duce the weight and cost of constructing the same to the minimum as one wall only is really needed and that is set to form an abutment to take the strain of the bloc s which have a tendency only to move in the direction of the current of greatest traliic. Both the side wall and base portion of this tie member between the rails may be cutaway if desired to lighten its construction, and the said base and side wall may be made of a stock suiiiciently heavy to stand for years, particularly when the same is galvanized or otherwise treated to protect it from the deteriorating action of the elements.

In some cases it is proposed to electrically connect sections of the rails 23 into what is known as blocks thatis, difierent sections of the road will be electrically connected in such a way that when a train enters the block it sets the signals behind it to danger to prevent the next following train from entering this block until the first train has passed out and upon leaving the block the signal is cleared. But if for any reason the rails on a tie of my improved construction should spread, the circuit will at once be completed through the metallic tie thereby setting the signal to danger preventing the train from entering the block until investigation has been made. The operation of the block signal through this tie may be entirely independent of its action by the travel of the car and having once been set by the spreading of the rails could not be restored to safety until the rails had been removed from electric contact with the tie.

It is found in practice that a large percentage of the railroad accidents are caused by spreading of the rails. A. slight spread which would cause one of the rails to come in contact with one of the metal arms, would not be sui'licient to derail a train, but twice that amount which would bring the opposite rail into contact with the opposite outer metal arm would be considered a dangerous spread nearly sutiicient to derail a train and by my improved construction of cross tie such a spread would complete the circuit through the tie and setthe signal to danger.

I do not wish to restrict the use of my improved tie to a block signaling system to work in combination with the regular danger signals as these ties may be wired up to 0perate independent signals and so indicate the spreading or" the rails by an independent electrically operated system.

I claim:

1. In a railway block signal apparatus, the combination with an electrically operable danger signal, of a railroad tie of electrical conducting material having support-- ing members for the rails of insulating material, and means connected to the tie whereby said rails are automatically connected electrically through said conducting tie to set the signal to danger when the rails become moved a predetermined distance from their normal position.

2. In a railway signal apparatus, the combination with an electrically operable danger signal, of a railroad tie of electrical conducting material having supporting members for the rails of insulating material, and means connected to the tie whereby said rails are automatically connected electrically throu 'h the conducting tie to set the signal to danger when the rails become moved laterally a predetermined distance from their normal position.

3. In a railway signal apparatus, the combination with an electrically operable danger signal having a normally open circuit, of a railroad tie or" electrical conducting material having supporting members of insu lating material for the rails, and a conduct-- ing member connected to the tie on the outside of each rail whereby said rails are automatically connected electrically through the tie to close the circuit and set the signal to danger when the rails become moved laterally a predetermined distance from their normal position.

4. In a railway signal apparatus, the con-- bination with an electrically operable danger signal, of a metal railroad cross tie having supporting members for the rails of elect-rically insulating material, and means Whereby the signal is set to danger when the rails become spread and both come in contact with the metal of the tie.

5. In a railway signal apparatus, the combination with an electrically operable danger signal, oi a metal railroad cross tie hav ing pockets, supporting members for the rail of electrically insulating material retained in said pockets, and means whereby the signal is set to danger when the rails become spread and both come in contact with the metal of the tie.

6. In a railway signal system, the combination with an electrically operable danger signal having a normally open circuit, of a railway tie member formed of angle iron having a base and one side wall, rail carrying blocks of non-conducting material in said member, arms extending from said wall out over said blocks to assist in retaining them in position, said arms being set on each side of each rail and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the rail set between them, whereby a lateral morement of both the rails into contact with said arms completes the circuit and throws the signal to danger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES lV. GILES. Witnesses HOWARD E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN.

(Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' intents. Washington, D. 0. 

